# Episode 80 - Score Reel History **Source:** For Amusement Only EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast **Type:** podcast_episode **Published:** 2015-05-30 **Duration:** 7m 58s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://foramusementonly.libsyn.com/episode-80-score-reel-history --- ## Analysis Nick Baldridge discusses the history of score reels in EM and arcade games, tracing their introduction by Gottlieb in 1954 with Super Jumbo through the end of the EM era around 1976-1978. The episode covers technical details of how score reels functioned, their adoption by competitors, design variations, and Baldridge's appreciation for their physical, mechanical nature. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Score reels were first used by Gottlieb in October 1954 with Super Jumbo — _Nick Baldridge, opening discussion of score reel history_ - [HIGH] Super Jumbo was Gottlieb's first production multiple-player pinball machine with flippers — _Nick Baldridge, describing Super Jumbo specifications_ - [HIGH] Competitors began adopting score reels in 1955 — _Nick Baldridge, discussing industry adoption timeline_ - [HIGH] The EM era ended around 1976-1978 depending on manufacturer (Gottlieb ~1978, Bally/Williams ~1976) — _Nick Baldridge, establishing timeline boundaries_ - [HIGH] Gottlieb, Bally, and Williams all used score reels through the EM era — _Nick Baldridge, describing industry-wide adoption_ - [MEDIUM] Score reel artwork shifted to resemble digital displays as solid-state games became popular — _Nick Baldridge, discussing design evolution and industry strategy_ ### Notable Quotes > "Score reels are, to me, some of the most iconic elements of any EM pin or arcade game" > — **Nick Baldridge**, ~0:30 > _Establishes Baldridge's core appreciation for the subject and frames the episode's central thesis_ > "You have a steel ball bearing that you're trying to prevent from landing in a particular spot, and score reels are actually physically turning in order to display your score based on the stuff that that ball is hitting" > — **Nick Baldridge**, ~1:00 > _Defines the mechanical nature of score reels and explains why they appeal to Baldridge_ > "Super Jumbo was a four-player pinball machine, and Gottlieb's first production, multiple-player pinball machine" > — **Nick Baldridge**, ~2:00 > _Confirms historical milestone for Gottlieb and context for score reel introduction_ > "The war kind of acted like a dark ages for pinball" > — **Nick Baldridge**, ~2:30 > _Provides historical context for the gap between 1940s experimentation and 1954 innovation_ > "So the game would actually keep track of each player's state separately. This, again, was unusual slash unheard of" > — **Nick Baldridge**, ~4:00 > _Highlights the innovation in multi-player score tracking in Super Jumbo_ > "The ability to actually manipulate something in a game is worth far more to me than the ability to watch Pac-Man be eaten by ghosts over and over and over again" > — **Nick Baldridge**, ~14:00 > _Expresses Baldridge's design philosophy favoring physical interactivity over passive observation_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Nick Baldridge | person | Host of For Amusement Only podcast, EM and bingo pinball enthusiast, homebrew pinball designer (Multi-Bingo) | | Gottlieb | company | Historical pinball manufacturer; first to use score reels in 1954 with Super Jumbo | | Super Jumbo | game | Gottlieb pinball machine from October 1954; first to feature rotating score reels and first Gottlieb multiplayer game with flippers | | Bally | company | Major EM pinball manufacturer; adopted score reels, transitioned from EM to solid-state around 1976 | | Williams | company | Major EM pinball manufacturer; adopted score reels, transitioned from EM to solid-state around 1976 | | For Amusement Only | organization | EM and bingo pinball podcast hosted by Nick Baldridge; focused on classic pinball history and mechanics | ### Topics - **Primary:** Score reel history and mechanics, EM pinball era technology, Gottlieb's innovations in multiplayer pinball - **Secondary:** Design evolution from EM to solid-state displays, Physical vs. digital game design philosophy, Pinball industry history 1930s-1978 ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Baldridge expresses enthusiastic appreciation for score reels and EM pinball mechanics throughout. Tone is educational and celebratory of the mechanical ingenuity in classic pinball. No criticism or negative sentiment. ### Signals - **[historical_signal]** Trace of score reel adoption from Gottlieb's 1954 introduction through industry-wide use 1955-1978 (confidence: high) — Gottlieb first used rotating score reels in October 1954 with Super Jumbo; competitors adopted in 1955; Bally/Williams and others used them through EM era - **[design_innovation]** Super Jumbo's introduction of per-player state tracking was unusual for the time (confidence: high) — Nick Baldridge: 'So the game would actually keep track of each player's state separately. This, again, was unusual slash unheard of' - **[design_philosophy]** Score reels exemplify the physical, mechanical nature of pinball that appeals to enthusiasts over passive observation (confidence: high) — Baldridge repeatedly emphasizes the physicality of score reels and mechanical pinball vs. video games - **[product_strategy]** As solid-state games became more popular, EM score reel artwork shifted to mimic digital display appearance (confidence: medium) — Nick Baldridge: 'The artwork on the score reels started to shift to look more like the digital displays...probably meant to capture the audience who was starting to shift to the solid state games' - **[community_signal]** Strong community appreciation for the mechanical design and visual/auditory elements of score reels (confidence: medium) — Baldridge: 'I pretty much love all score reels regardless of era or design' and extensive discussion of color variations and design elements --- ## Transcript What's that sound? It's For Amusement Only, the EM and Bingo Pinball Podcast. Welcome back to For Amusement Only. This is Nicholas Baldridge. It's been a tough week, but wild horses couldn't drag me away from getting the news out to you faithful listeners. Today I wanted to start a series on score reels Score reels are, to me, some of the most iconic elements of any EM pin or arcade game And one of the things that I really love about them is something that I love about pinball In general, and that's just the raw physicality of it You have a steel ball bearing that you're trying to prevent from landing in a particular spot, and score reels are actually physically turning in order to display your score based on the stuff that that ball is hitting. I just think that that's really cool, for lack of a better term. And so today I wanted to start with just a little bit of history. Score Reels were first used by Gottlieb in October of 1954 with their game Super Jumbo. Super Jumbo was a four-player pinball machine, and Gottlieb's first production, multiple-player pinball machine. Now previously there had been other multiplayer machines but they were all flipperless If you recall back during the great era of experimentation in the 1930s to the early 1940s before World War II all kinds of interesting stuff was tried out. But then the war kind of acted like a dark ages for pinball. It took a while for manufacturing to catch back up. So, here we are, near the end of the year, 1954, and out comes Super Jumbo, which has two big advancements. It's the first multiplayer game that's been seen in quite some time. It's a Gottlieb, it's got beautiful artwork, and it's the first game to use rotating score reels instead of lighted scoring. Now Super Jumbo, being made in 1954, is a wood rail. And there were some interesting innovations that Godley made with multiplayer games, but today we're sticking with score reels. So the game would actually keep track of each player's state separately. This, again, was unusual slash unheard of. and would provide you with a totaled score at the end for each player. Pretty neat thing. So in 1955, we see the competitors start to try to catch up. And from that time on through the end of the EM era, which was about 1978, depending on manufacturer. 1978 would be Gottlieb For Belly and Williams it was more like 76 Somewhere in the 76 to 78 era But all three of those companies used score reels. And the other competitors, which were absorbed or went out of business, like United, and Genco and Keeney and some of the other also-rans and also foreign manufacturers. So through the back glass, of course, the game presents a single digit at a time in each position of the score. So if you have a machine that goes up to, say, the 10,000th position, you'll have five different reels, each one associated with one of those numbers. Now, an interesting note is that the artwork on the reels, while mostly standardized, did shift a bit depending on the theme of the game and the manufacturer. and they utilized some interesting concepts over time, especially as digital displays became more common. The artwork on the score reels started to shift to look more like the digital displays. It's kind of an interesting trick. I guess you'd say. I'm not sure who that was meant to please, but I'm sure it was somebody. Mostly it was probably meant to capture the audience who was starting to shift to the solid state games because they were newer and shinier So as far as the other interesting tricks they came in different colors as I believe I mentioned. So some of them, the base color was actually black or yellow. in one instance I think I've seen red and then the numbers which are screen printed on are different colors as well I find these machines really interesting to look at but then again I pretty much love all score reels regardless of era or design score reels provide that physicality that I am very attracted to in pinball. And in arcade games in general. While I love video games as well, believe it or not, the ability to actually manipulate something in a game is worth far more to me than the ability to watch Pac-Man be eaten by ghosts over and over and over again. Poor Pac-Man has died many a time on my quarter over the years. Well, thank you again for listening. My name again is Nick Baldrige. You can reach me at 4amusementonlypodcast at gmail.com. you can listen to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Pocket Casts via RSS, on Facebook, on Twitter or on our website which is foramusementonly.libsyn.com thanks again for listening and I'll talk to you next time _(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 1461423e-566d-4cb5-9df0-c115b3bef9c1*